The Secret Will
by appleslovetea
Summary: COMPLETE - A secret is always something hard to keep, isn't it? Akihito/Asami short story.
1. PART I

**The Secret Will**

**PART 1**

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><p>Akihito felt beyond tired as he finally arrived at the apartment that night.<p>

What was supposed to have been a simple and quick undercover assignment for his news' agency, had turned into a 12 hour boring stakeout mission that had only finished after he and Mitarai were able to get a series of incriminating shots of a famous politician exiting an upscale love hotel downtown with his mistress.

Akihito was still cursing against the politician when he removed his trainers in the genkan and moved towards the kitchen, turning on the lights in every single room he walked through, even though it was already 3 in the morning and he should have known better.

His mind was consumed with nothing but thoughts of the flavorful ramen he'd prepared earlier that day and that was waiting for him inside the fridge, but even so he managed to be momentarily distracted by a dim light coming from Asami's office room, located right next to the kitchen.

It was only then that Akihito realized he might not be the only person still up in the apartment that night.

Tip toeing his away towards the office's half-open door, the photographer tempted with the idea of knocking first in order to announce his presence, but at the last second decided to just stick his head inside the room and take a peek.

The sight that greeted him ended up making him smile.

Asami Ryuuichi, the powerful and ruthless business man that he was known to be, was currently sitting behind a solid mahogany desk piled up with folders and random sheets of paper deeply asleep.

Akihito wondered for a moment how the older man had managed to doze off in such an uncomfortable position and suspected he was going to wake up with a very sore neck given the awkward angle his head was resting against the chair.

"Asami…" He called out from the doorway, quietly at first.

When the only answer he received was a shallow snoring sound, Akihito figured he'd need to resort to more direct methods if he was indeed planning to successfully wake up the other man.

"Hey, Asami!" He called out loud again, more soundly this time, while he approached the desk.

Although his effort was insufficient to drag Asami's mind out of dreamland, he still ended up managing to draw a reaction from the business man, who even though sleeping, slowly turned his face towards the youngster, as if he had somehow been able to hear him; his lips parting ever so slightly, as if Asami was about to mumble a "Hello".

Akihito stopped only when he was next to Asami, and half sat on the desk in front of the latter taking advantage of the opportunity to look intently at the older man.

He didn't recall when was the last time he'd had the chance to see Asami with such a relaxed expression, and for a moment found it funny how the yakuza always managed to look about 10 years younger when he slept like that, without a care in the world.

It seemed that Asami could somehow sense he was on Akihito's mind at the moment because again his face turned in the photographer's direction, a strand of hair falling over his closed eyes in the process.

It was more of an impulse really what caused Akihito's next move...

Before the young man could stop himself, he felt his arm stretch ahead of him and his hand pull away the unruly strand of hair covering Asami's eyes.

Akihito was about to tuck it behind the other man's ear when he realized he was blushing…Profusely.

He pulled back his hand instantly, relieved that Asami was asleep and unable to see his schoolgirl-like reaction.

The young man hated to admit it, but he was growing increasingly obsessed with the other man as of late, finding the yakuza's mere presence around him, a source of overpowering intoxication, and even though Akihito knew that Asami was well aware at this point that he was very much in love with him, it was not like the guy really needed to know the _extent_ of the hold he had on Akihito.

After all, there was no point in adding to the other man's already god-like ego!

The young man was about to leave the room, fearing that if he'd stick around the place any longer he might fall into the temptation of waking Asami up with a kiss (and wouldn't it be embarrassingly ridiculous for the youngster to try to come up with an excuse for that move!) when he noticed the piece of paper being held in one of Asami's hands.

In truth, it wasn't the paper itself that sparked his interest, but the fact that he spotted the name of Asami's personal lawyer written in very formal lettering in it.

He was also quick to spot Asami's own name written above the other which further enticed his curiosity, and so he quickly bent over, albeit awkwardly, so he could take a better look at the paper without risking having the older man waking up next to him.

One look at the title strategically placed in the right upper corner of the document made the blood freeze in his veins all of a sudden.

"Legal Will?" Akihito read out loud surprised.

Another quick look at the place where Asami's name had been written down, and he was all but left gapping at the piece of paper.

"Asami's Legal Will? !" He thought, not really knowing what to make of the information, as it dawned on him that according to the signature date, the document had been signed that same afternoon.

"What time is it?" Akihito suddenly heard Asami ask with a sleepy voice, making him straighten his back automatically.

"Huh…3…It's…huh…3 a.m.…I think." The young man said trying to sound casual, yet failing miserably in his endeavor to do so.

Luckily for him, Asami was still too groggy to notice and as the older man covered his mouth with his free hand and yawned his heart out, his other hand shot up and placed the Will paper casually on top of the desk, almost as if he didn't even remember he'd been holding it in the first place.

Akihito had to use all of his willpower to avoid turning his eyes on the sheet of paper again.

"You look tired." Asami said then, his head resting back against the office chair. "Did you just get home?"

There was a sincere note of worry in his voice and for a few seconds Akihito forgot all about the Will. He knew Asami had been concerned as of late that he'd been overworking himself, but it was not like Akihito could ask his boss to stop assigning him overnight jobs, especially because he was turning out to be the best stakeout news' photographer in that news' agency.

"Yeah…I just got here." Akihito confessed, smiling guiltily. "And I'm pretty pooped too. I think I'm just gonna grab something quick to eat and hit the bed. Wanna come too?... You look pretty tired as well."

A flash of realization suddenly crossed Asami's eyes, as he seemed to remember something important. "…Not yet. I still have some documents to go through. You can go ahead."

It wasn't what he said, but _how_ he said it that made Akihito arch an eyebrow at the older man; the memory of the Legal Will document being suddenly trusted to the front of his mind again.

"Are you sure?" Akihito asked, convinced that Asami wouldn't understand the double meaning of his question.

And he was right, since the older man only grinned at him in return. "I won't take long." He said, watching Akihito shrug in return while he walked away from the desk and the room, but not without biding Asami goodnight first.

The young man was about to cross the doorway, when Asami's voice stopped him on his tracks.

"Akihito…"

Again, that odd tone perceivable in his voice…

This time Akihito couldn't help his heart from skipping a beat. Could it be that there was something going on with Asami?

"What is it?" The young man asked as he turned around to face Asami, trying to mask his fear.

For a moment it seemed as though Asami was getting ready to tell him something, but when the yakuza spoke up again it was only to bid Akihito a goodnight in return, causing the youngster to leave the office room with a strange feeling in his chest.

* * *

><p>Akihito was pretty certain he'd already dozed off for a while when he felt the mattress slump down behind him and someone crawl into his bed about an hour after he'd left the office.<p>

When the youngster felt the intruder spooning him from behind; an arm protectively circling his waist, he shivered, all remnants of sleep leaving him in a heartbeat.

"You're cold, Asami! Go sleep on your own bed, will you?" He protested, but the first response he received from the other man was an amused chuckle.

"You'll warm me up soon enough, no worries." Asami replied huskily, nibbling on Akihito's ear.

"I thought you were tired…" The youngster interjected, trying to prevent his body from reacting to the other man's presence, which turned out to be another spectacular failure on his part, particularly when Asami pulled him closer against his chest.

"I'm never tired when it comes to you." Asami teased, brushing his lips against Akihito's shoulder.

"Your dick is poking me by the way."

"That's because I'm poking you with it."

"You're such a bastard!" Akihito replied, burying his face on his pillow as he felt his lower half slowly starting to wake up.

To his annoyance, the yakuza didn't let him hide his face for very long, and before he knew it, Akihito found himself lying on his back with Asami positioning himself above him while keeping the youngster's lips busy with a possessive kiss.

Akihito was just warming up to it when the older man suddenly broke the kiss, staring at him with an unusual look in his eyes.

The photographer felt his heart start racing even before Asami said anything.

"Akihito, I…" Asami started, but for some reason the rest of what he was about to say died in his mouth.

"…W-What is it?"

"…Nevermind." The older man said, just before he bent down for another kiss preventing Akihito from asking anything further.

**(To be continued…)**


	2. PART II

**The Secret Will**

**PART II**

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><p>The next morning Akihito found himself sitting across Asami at the breakfast table, even though his mind was somewhere far away.<p>

Good thing the other man was occupied with reading the morning newspaper, otherwise he'd probably find Akihito's silence quite uncharacteristic.

The problem was that the young man's mind couldn't stop flashing back to the previous night's events. After all, if Asami's behavior had seemed a little off in the office, what to say of his later antics in bed while making love to Akihito?

Yes, _love_. Not sex. And that was what was bothering the photographer.

Asami Ryuuichi had actually made love to Akihito. Slow, deliberate, passionate love that didn't seem to have an ending, which although being a more than welcomed surprise for the latter was also completely out of character for the former, who was known to have the libido of a Roman sex god, which in turn made 'slowness' and 'gentleness' words not normally associated with his sex repertoire.

No one needed to tell Akihito at that point that something was definitely off with the other man, but if the yakuza was reticent to come clean with the photographer at this point, he couldn't blame the latter for taking the first step to try to dig out the truth.

And so Akihito was about to speak up and ask him what was going on, when Asami beat him to it.

"Do you have anything planned out for the weekend?" Asami asked unexpectedly, placing down the newspaper next to his coffee mug.

"Huh... No, not yet. I'm off this weekend." Which was not entirely true. Akihito had a pile of Internet research to do for his next work assignment, but he had a feeling, lazy as he was in such cases, that he wouldn't be advancing too much on it.

Asami seemed satisfied with his answer. "I need to go to Bali this weekend in order to oversee the plans for the new resort Feilong and I are building together there. It's only going to take me half a day, but I was planning to stick around for the weekend to relax a bit... Would you like to come along? We'd be staying at a villa at the Bulgari resort..."

Bali? Relax? Resort? Akihito was answering yes before his brain had even finished processing Asami's invitation.

It was only seconds later, that the facts in his head started weaving themselves together. First the unexpected Legal Will document, then Asami's reluctance to tell him whatever it was the yakuza had tried to tell him, then the never ending love making session and now an invitation for a weekend getaway.

What the bloody hell was going on?

"Asami, what-?" Akihito started, but was quickly interrupted by the sound of Asami's cellphone going off on top of the table.

And even though the older man took no time in picking up the call, Akihito was still able to catch the name of Asami's lawyer on the cellphone's screen.

The yakuza still seemed to hesitate for a second, but eventually got up from his chair and moved to the balcony outside the living room, where he could talk with his lawyer without being heard. The official excuse he gave to Akihito before disappearing from the room was that it was a business call regarding the new resort, but even though the photographer casually nodded in understanding, he didn't buy into the excuse at all.

Since when did Asami ever bother with leaving the room he was in to talk on his cellphone? No, there was definitely something fishy going on, and Akihito would be damned if he wouldn't find out exactly what it was.

Making use of his stakeout skills, the photographer quickly scanned the balcony's entrance, easily noticing a perfect blind spot behind the curtains framing the balcony doors where he could hide without being seen by Asami, but that would still be in hearing range of the other man.

Akihito was making his way towards his hideout, when a voice suddenly called out to him from behind, nearly making him jump up in the air from the unexpected scare.

"Takaba-san!" Asami's trusty assistant Kirishima said, as he appeared on the living room's threshold coming from the hallway. "Glad to find you still at home."

"Ha, Kirishima-san! Good morning. You're here early today!" Akihito exclaimed surprised. It was true that it was quite unusual to see Kirishima so soon. He usually waited until around 11 a.m. to pick up Asami and drive him to the office.

"Yes, I was hoping to have a word with you before you left for work." The assistant explained, suddenly looking around the room. "Is... Asami-sama still sleeping?"

"Oh no. He's on the balcony talking on his cellphone. What was it you wanted to talk about with me?"

"I'm assuming Asami-sama has already spoken to you regarding the trip to Bali this weekend..."

"Yeah, he just did actually."

"Great. I assume you'll be joining him on the trip then."

"I... I guess so..." Akihito smiled nervously. He always felt like a freeloader when he took advantage of Asami's offers. He bet that trip wasn't cheap.

"Good. I'll make all the necessary arrangements for your plane tickets then. You don't have to worry about anything. I'll just need you to send me your passport information as usual." Kirishima said, in full diligent secretary mode.

"T-Thanks. I'll email it to you today then."

Akihito thought that was the end of the conversation between them, but for some reason Kirishima wouldn't move from his spot.

An infant could had perceived the change of expression in the assistant's face as he suddenly looked towards the balcony, seeming to ponder whether or not to speak what was on his mind.

"Say Takaba-san,... did Asami-sama say anything else to you?"

His voice sounded so ominous that Akihito felt that familiar anxious pang grip his heart again.

"About what?" He asked, his tone barely masking his fear.

"About the-" Kirishima started, only to nervously avert his eyes from Akihito the next second, his focus changing to something appearing behind the youngster. "Ah, Asami-sama, good morning!" He exclaimed promptly, as his boss returned from the balcony.

"'Morning. You're here early." Asami observed, as he causally walked towards the breakfast table and put on his suit's jacket, which had been dangling from a chair.

"Yes. I thought I'd stop by a bit earlier to run a few details regarding the Bali trip with Takaba-san. Also, Feilong-sama's secretary faxed over the revised budget plans for the bar and lounge areas of the resort. I was hoping you might be able to check them on your way to the office."

Asami had to make an effort not to roll his eyes at the news. "Why do I have a feeling you're about to tell me Feilong is still over budget on them..."

For some reason, Kirishima found his boss' comment amusing. "Well sir, it seems Feilong-sama is still pretty adamant on ordering that expensive Italian marble for the bar's countertops." He was about to add more when he noticed his boss reaching for his cigarette pack and taking out a new cigar which he quickly lighted against his lips.

"Should...Should you be smoking, sir?"

Akihito found the question so odd that he was sure he frowned while looking at Kirishima.

He wasn't the only one to have a reaction to the question, although in Asami's case, it was the stern look that suddenly came over his features that gave it away.

"It's fine." The older man said, his piercing eyes a warning for his subordinate not to pursue the topic any further.

"Yes, sir." Kirishima acquiesced immediately, despite the worried look with which he suddenly stared at Asami as the latter picked up his briefcase and walked towards the front door of the apartment.

His boss failed to catch it, but the same couldn't be said for Akihito, who too stared at Asami as a disturbing suspicion started forming in his mind.

* * *

><p>There were times when Akihito <em>tolerated<em> hanging out with Mitarai on stakeout assignments, and then there were times when if he'd had a loose brick at hand, Akihito was certain he would already have smashed it on the other man's head.

Today was one of the latter times.

The young man was pretty sure that if he had to spend another fifteen minutes with his colleague cooped up inside the unmarked car they were in, 200 meters in front of Tokyo University Hospital' s side entrance doors, Mitarai would soon become a patient of the emergency unit of that fine institution.

In truth though, if he had to blame anyone for being stuck with that unexpected assignment that night, it would have to be the adulterous politician he and Mitarai had photographed the night before.

It seemed that after making the morning newspapers along with his mistress and causing a national scandal of unheard proportions, the politician's legitimate wife had taken upon herself the task of vindication and had shot her cheating husband on his foot.

Not that the last bit of information was public knowledge yet, but news travels fast in Tokyo's underworld where Akihito's news agency informants usually sniff around for the latest big scoop, which was why he and Mitarai had been drafted to stake out that particular hospital where the politician had been reportedly brought to.

Clever as they were, Akihito and Mitarai had avoided the main entrance of the hospital where a medical representative was currently lying with all his teeth to the growing array of reporters assembled there, saying that no members of the government were currently admitted as patients at Tokyo University Hospital.

No. Both photographers knew that their best bet at catching a glimpse of the injured politian was the hospital's side entrance, which also served as entrance to the external clinic operating on the premises, and so they had spent the last three hours with their eyes glued on the glass sliding doors and their cameras ready for action.

A fairly boring yet simple assignment, were it not for the obnoxious fact that Mitarai decided to go on one of his rants regarding the ill state of the Japanese marital vows.

"You know what the problem is nowadays?"

"What?" Akihito replied mechanically, dreaming of that loose brick in his hand.

"People just don't have any respect for each other anymore. It's like no one cares about promises or vows. One look at their neighbor's pastures and everyone wants to jump inside their fence."

For a moment the young photographer felt tempted to remind Mitarai that the latter was on his second failed marriage and that if the rumors around the news' agency were true, Mitarai's first marriage had ended precisely because he'd been rolling around in his neighbor's pastures, and by 'pastures' he meant his neighbor's wife...

As Mitarai shifted his monologue to the dangers of guns and enraged wives, Akihito couldn't help but sigh.

He really did not want to be there at the moment. His mind had been a mess since the night before when he'd first took notice of Asami's Legal Will document, and even though he'd tried to distract himself with work during the day, Akihito couldn't shake off the feeling that something was clearly not right with Asami and that he was the only one that wasn't in on it at this point.

Akihito had tempted for hours with the idea of calling Kirishima directly and asking the man what was going on with his boss, but his loyalty towards Asami would certainly silence him, plus, the last thing Akihito wanted was for Kirishima to tell the older man that he suspected something was wrong with him.

The young photographer had already decided to have a direct conversation with Asami himself once they'd reached Bali. After all, they'd be leaving for the airport early on the next morning, so he only had to live with his anxiousness for a few more hours.

He was so immersed on his thoughts that he barely registered Mitarai's voice calling out to him.

"Hey Takaba, wake up! Big fish approaching." The man said, pointing his camera at a black limo that had just stopped in front of the hospital's side entryway.

Akihito was quick to position his camera as well, but after a minute or so of focusing the limo's back doors with his viewfinder, nothing had happened yet.

"No one's coming out." The young man said, stating the obvious.

"Which means," Mitarai replied hopeful. "that someone is getting in."

No sooner than the photographer had pronounced those words, then the sliding doors opened up to reveal a middle-aged man dressed in a business suit, who was making his way towards the limo while talking on an iPhone.

Akihito had to bite his tongue not to say anything out loud. He could hear Mitarai's camera working as the man snapped photos of the unknown target, but his own fingers seemed to had frozen up.

What the bloody hell was Kirishima doing there?

The answer came two seconds later, as another impeccably dressed man walked past the sliding doors in the direction of the limo.

"What the hell!" Mitarai exclaimed frustrated. "That's not the politician. Who the hell is that?"

Akihito wasn't sure if his heart was even beating anymore, yet he had a distinct feeling his hands were shaking as he mumbled the man's name before the latter disappeared inside the black limo.

"Asami..."

**(To be continued…)**

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><p><strong>AN:** Thanks for your comments on the last chapter ;) Hope you enjoyed this one. I don't want to give the plot away, but I guess I can say "not all is what it seems" ;) Until next time... the boys are going to Bali! he he


	3. PART III

**A/N: Possible grammar mistakes and OOC Asami ahead :S**

**The Secret Will**

**PART III**

* * *

><p>So it turned out Akihito was in fact a coward.<p>

But not because he was afraid of _doing_ something. No, he was pretty brave when it came to physical stuff. It was more due to the fact that he realized he was terrified of _knowing_ the truth about something. That _something_ being Asami's health condition...

Because although a coward, Akihito wasn't stupid, and by now he'd already done the math inside his head.

The Will, the shift in the other man's sex habits, the sudden urge to stay on at the resort to relax, Kirishima's concern over his health and a trip to the hospital, could only mean that Asami Ryuuichi was sick... _very_ sick. Why else would the yakuza be so unwilling to open up about his condition with Akihito? They'd been together for over two years. There shouldn't be a need for secrecy between them.

The picture was indeed looking grey at this point and the young man was trying really hard not to panic. The problem was that he realized on the plane ride to Bali, where he'd tried to address the subject with Asami countless times, that he simply did not have the courage to ask the older man directly what it was that was wrong with him.

And given that the yakuza seemed to still be unwilling to disclose whatever it was himself, the anxiousness that Akihito had hoped had cleared off from his system by then had only gotten worse, preventing him from enjoying the trip altogether and from getting any sleep the first night they spent at the fancy resort.

Which was why Akihito found himself on Sunday morning sitting up in bed, with heavy dark circles under his eyes, while he stared at Asami's sleeping form beside him.

The young man had spent the previous hours running a mental list of all that could possibly be wrong with the older man health wise, and had by then narrowed it down to two possibilities, even though deep in his mind Akihito was aware his reasoning method was ridiculous.

Ridiculous or not, the photographer was by then convinced that Asami either had a problem in his lungs or in his heart. The lungs' theory had been easy enough to come up with given that the man was a heavy smoker and Kirishima had seemed uncharacteristically concerned about his smoking habits just two days before.

As for the heart theory... Well, wasn't heart disease one of the evils of the current business world society? With more and more people succumbing every day to heart problems due to stress and overwork?...

Akihito bit his lower lip, as his eyes roamed Asami's body for the n-th time that morning. The thing was, the yakuza didn't really _look_ sick.

Laying peacefully in bed with only a thin sheet covering the lower half of his naked form, Akihito had a privileged view of the other man's body, but try as he might, the photographer couldn't find anything physically wrong with him.

Asami's skin had always had a nice complexion; there were no changes to report on that. And what to say of his general physique? He still looked as toned and fit as he ever did; the muscles on his arms and chest looking more as though they had been sculpted by a fine artist rather than being the result of gym workout sessions.

As if wanting to give his approval on the subject, Asami suddenly shifted in his sleep, rolling in bed so that he ended up resting on his back, rewarding the young man with an even better view of his chiseled chest and stomach.

Asami looked as though he was having a nice dream, if the ghost of the smile that suddenly appeared on his lips was any indication of it, but that didn't cause Akihito's fears to become assuage in any way.

The photographer didn't realize at first what he was doing, but he soon found himself bending down so that the side of his face came in contact with Asami's bare chest, his ear soon picking up on the rhythmic beating of the latter's heart.

"Please, don't die." Akihito thought to himself, afraid to say the words out loud.

He had a feeling his eyes were watering up when he felt a hand ruffling his hair. "Akihito…what are you doing?" A groggy voice asked, making the young man scramble back into a seating position.

"N-Nothing." Akihito lied, as he watched the older man yawn and rub his eyes.

"…What time is it?"

Akihito looked at the digital clock on the bedside table. "8 a.m." Shit, he'd really spent the whole night in blank.

"It's still early. Go back to sleep." Asami said, pulling the photographer down gently so that they ended up on their sides facing each other; the yakuza's arm circling protectively around the small of Akihito's back.

He seemed as though he was ready to drift off to dreamland again, but Akihito (to his own surprise) didn't let that happen.

Ever so slowly, the young man snuggled closer to Asami until his face was mere inches from the other man's, and before his brain could even process what he was doing he found that his lips were tentatively brushing Asami's.

Although brief, the action was enough to make the older man open his eyes, but before he could say anything, Akihito leaned in for another kiss, feeling the other man eventually adjust himself in bed so he could better support Akihito's frame against him.

Even though the kiss was slow and gentle the photographer still felt out of breath when he broke it a while later.

There was a curious expression on Asami's face as the older man finally spoke up. "…And what was that for?" He asked, surprised by Akihito's unusual show of initiative.

_"Because I'm scared of losing you, you baka." _

Akihito didn't say it out loud of course, leaving Asami further intrigued as he again moved in to kiss him; his hands clinging to the older man's body so fiercely it was almost as if he was scared the latter would somehow evaporate into thin air.

* * *

><p>7 hours later Akihito could be found sitting on one of the many lounge chairs in front of the Bulgari resort's main pool, feeling still much down in the dumps.<p>

It turned out his earlier make-out session with Asami had been cut short when the older man had unexpectedly received an emergency call requesting his presence at his and Feilong's resort construction site, forcing the yakuza to leave Akihito behind with nothing but his dark musings to keep him company.

Unable to stick around the villa alone any longer, Akihito had wandered off aimlessly through the resort's grounds, trying his best to avoid the pink elephant that kept weighing down on his thoughts.

He wasn't really sure how he ended up at the pool side… or why he felt the urge to punch in the face every happy couple that walked past him for that matter, but he was indeed convinced that if one more chirpy duo was to walk his way smiling their asses off, blood would no doubt end up being spilled.

Akihito was indeed so out of it, that he didn't even notice the man approaching him by the pool side.

He was, however, able to recognize the man's voice as soon as the latter spoke to him.

"Is this chair taken?" The intruder asked, pointing towards the lounge chair next to Akihito.

"Feilong!" The young man exclaimed as he turned to look at the other man.

"What? ! Are you that surprised to see me?" The Chinese man said, sitting down beside him.

Deep down the photographer knew he shouldn't be. After all, Asami had told him Feilong would be staying at the Bulgari resort over the weekend as well. There would always be a chance they'd bump into each other eventually.

…Not that he was in any mood to put up with the mobster's antics at the moment…

"What a face you are making, Akihito!... What's the matter? Is the world about to end and I wasn't briefed on it?"

Akihito chuckled unamused. "…Well, mine is." He mumbled quietly.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Feilong must have nonetheless sensed Akihito's gloominess, because he suddenly narrowed his eyes at him inquisitively. "What's the matter with you?" He asked.

"Nothing… I'm fine. Thanks for asking."

Somehow the mobster didn't look convinced. "…Where is that obnoxious lover of yours, by the way? I haven't seen him all day today."

Akihito couldn't help but find the question odd. "... Asami was called to your resort's construction site. He told me it was urgent business that he had to oversee himself…"

Why did Akihito have a feeling this was news to Feilong?

"Oh, was he?" The other man replied then, only managing to increase the young man's suspicion.

Akihito was in fact about to ask Feilong what his reaction meant, when the older man swiftly brushed the subject aside, his curiosity clearly elsewhere.

"Did you two have a fight or something?" He asked out of the blue; his question clearly surprising Akihito.

"What?...No…Not really…Why are you asking?"

"It's just that you both seem a little off to me, I guess. Asami's mind was clearly somewhere else during yesterday's meeting." Feilong huffed. "He kept leaving the office room so he could speak with his lawyer over the phone, and when I finally had enough and called him to reason, he all but lashed out at me. Such a short temper he has these days!"

"…His lawyer? Asami was speaking to his lawyer?" Akihito repeated, his mind flashing back to the Legal Will.

The photographer figured something about his demeanor betrayed him then, because the mobster suddenly eyed him more intently.

"Did I say something I shouldn't have?"

"…Do…Do you think there's a chance Asami might be ill?"

Feilong stared at him as if he'd just spoken a foreign language. "Asami? _Ill_? ! Why on earth would you ever think that?"

Unable to hold back his anxiety any longer, Akihito ended up spilling to Feilong everything he knew about Asami's Will, his recent mellowed attitude, Kirishima's concern over his smoking habits, and the secret trip to the hospital.

The older man took in the news with an unreadable expression, only frowning when he heard the word 'hospital' being pronounced.

"Well, he doesn't _look_ sick." He admitted, a few moments after Akihito had stopped relaying the events. "Are you sure it wasn't just a routine appointment?"

"At the hospital?" Akihito replied unconvinced. "And since when does Asami ever go to the doctor? He hates them!"

"Hm. I suppose you have a point there." The Chinese man shrugged, watching Akihito throw himself back on his chair, his eyes closing for a few seconds as he huffed in frustration. "What the hell am I going to do?" The young man asked out loud, even though he didn't exactly expect to be given an answer.

It took him awhile to realize Feilong was chuckling under his breath. "You really got it hard, don't you?"

"Huh?!"

"Are you that much in love with Asami?"

Akihito didn't know if it was the question itself or the mobster's following inquisitive stare that caused him to blush twenty shades of red, only that when he tried to reply, he stammered…repeatedly.

"Well…I…I…I mean…"

His trouble brought out a genuine laugh from the other man.

"Oh, don't trouble yourself with an answer. As if it wasn't already obvious enough!" Feilong said, getting up from his chair, finally ready to resume his walk around the resort's grounds.

"I wouldn't worry too much about Asami if I were you. He's far too stubborn to succumb to some potential medical issue. The bastard is probably immune to most human illnesses anyway. He's that hard to kill."

When he sensed Akihito wasn't buying into his words, he decided to throw in a teaser. "As for the Will…" He said, an odd grin appearing on his lips for a fraction of a second. "If I understood correctly from the phone conversation I eavesdropped yesterday between him and his lawyer, the Will is going to be made known soon enough." He concluded, as he walked away from the younger man, without another word.

* * *

><p>Akihito knew Asami had already returned to the villa, even before his feet had crossed the gated doors separating their VIP accommodations from the rest of the resort.<p>

It was more his instinct than anything else that made him aware of the other man's presence, and for a second he almost smiled thinking of the extent of the connection he'd forged with his lover over the years that allowed him to instantly sense whenever he was close to Asami.

As soon as the sound of the shower being turned on inside the villa reached his ears, the photographer knew his hunch to be true, as always.

He walked through the gravel pathway leading up to the open lounge area of the villa slowly and silently, not really sure why he was trying to sound as quiet as possible, considering it was highly unlikely that Asami would be alerted to his presence at the time. He figured the older man probably thought he'd taken advantage of the tropical weather and was down at the resort's private beach sunbathing like most of the other guests.

No doubt Akihito was trying to prolong the inevitable, as if the space still separating him from his lover could somehow bring upon the much needed miracle Akihito was hoping would put an end to his misery.

Feeling mentally drained, the young man slumped down on the lounge's sofa and closed his eyes for a few moments, listening to the sound of the ocean in the distance while Asami continued to shower.

How the hell was he even going to bring the subject up? He wondered.

"Hey Asami, not to be a bother or anything, but is something wrong with you? It's just that I kind of saw you secretly coming out of a hospital two days ago and thought it odd."

Or,

"Hey Asami, not that it is any of my business but why have you recently signed a Will? And while we're at it, what's up with those secret meetings with your lawyer all the time?"

Or worse,

"Hey Asami, not that I'm complaining or anything, but is there a reason why you've turned all lovey-dovey with me lately? I mean, weekend getaways I can handle, but making love? Come on, something has to be up with you, right?

Yeah, like those questions would ever find a way out of his mouth, Akihito thought bitterly. He was screwed and he very well knew it. No doubt the youngster would topple all over himself as soon as he would start speaking, drive Asami mad in less than no time and cause them to have a monumental fight.

Sighing tiredly, Akihito rolled to his side on the large sofa, his eyes coming into view of the lounge area's dining table, where it seemed Asami had dropped his briefcase, along with a pile of assorted documents as soon as he had returned to the villa.

"Probably just some blueprints from the construction site." Akihito thought, attributing to them little importance. If he'd met Asami only recently, Akihito would have mistaken the man for an architect rather than a business mogul, what with all the plans and blueprints Asami carried around him as of late.

The youngster was about to close his eyes again, feeling drowsy from the tropical heat and the setting sun in the horizon, when a strong gust of wind blew past him, spreading havoc on top of the table, to the point several of the blueprints ended up landing on the floor near him.

"Damn it!" Akihito cursed, scrambling to his feet and picking up the documents before another gust of wind would take them further away. "Why does he always leave this stuff lying around all over the place?" He muttered, trying to make sense of the mess of papers the wind had jumbled up on the table. "Lucky for him I was aroun-."

The sentence died in his mouth before he had a chance to finish it, for his stare had just set upon a familiar piece of paper half-hidden amongst the blueprints of Asami and Feilong's new resort.

With shaky hands, Akihito put down the documents he was holding, and picked up the paper in question, very much aware that his heart had started beating a lot faster than normal.

There it was again…The dreaded Legal Will that Akihito had first seen a few days ago.

But this time, something was strikingly different about it.

While the last time the photographer had laid eyes on it, the piece of paper had a bunch of blank spaces, this time around, all of the fields were covered in ink and a big red stamp could be seen above Asami's signature, no doubt signaling that the document was now finalized.

Akihito could feel his heart beating inside his throat. The formerly blank spaces, now listed a detailed account of Asami's real estate possessions, from his penthouse in Tokyo, to his clubs, hotels, to even the new resort still being built, along with an estimate of his bank account earnings in several countries including Japan, the Cayman Islands and Switzerland.

Apart from that, there was also detailed information on art work, cars, jewelry and partnerships on several investment funds, all totaling millions of dollars that Akihito was convinced would have caused his chin to drop to the floor in amazement, were it not the state of nerves he was in at the time.

He read the document, feeling as though he was having a slight out of body experience, but the worst was yet to come. For as soon as Akihito finally turned the page around, he felt the strength in his legs leave him instantly, so much so, that he had to hold onto a chair for support.

His name was on Asami's Will.

And not just _anywhere_ on the Will.

It was under the Heirs' section.

If his eyes weren't deceiving him, Akihito was the sole heir to Asami's fortune and the only thing that seemed to be missing to make it official, was his own signature, the only field left in blank in the entire document.

"What the hell!" The young man mumbled, unable to come up with anything smarter to say.

"Akihito." A strong voice called out to him from behind.

The youngster didn't even pretend to hide the fact he was shaking, as he turned around to face Asami, fresh out of the shower, with a towel still wrapped around his waist and his hair very much damp.

"Put that down, Akihito." The older man told him, narrowing his eyes at him.

No one needed to tell the youngster that Asami wasn't exactly pleased he'd stumbled upon the Will.

The photographer tried to speak then, painfully aware he was all but clutching the document against his chest as if that could somehow prevent Asami from disappearing from the face of the Earth as he feared would happen.

He was even convinced that at some point he opened his mouth intent on saying something, but whatever speech faculty he seemed to have had, had disappeared for the time being.

Asami, however, seemed to have picked on his discomfort, because his expression suddenly softened as he pulled a hand through his hair, sighing tiredly.

"I didn't want you to see that just yet." He confessed, walking closer to where Akihito stood.

It looked as though Asami was himself struggling to find the right words.

"It was not like I wasn't planning on telling you about the Will… It's just that I thought I'd have more time."

Akihito felt lightheaded. A part of him was trying to keep up with what Asami was saying, while the other was desperately attempting to commit to memory every single movement the other man made, as if he was seconds from disappearing with the last rays of the setting sun.

"Akihito, I…"

The younger man's voice was broken as he finally spoke up, even though he didn't care about anything anymore. "How… How long do you have?"

"…Huh?"

"How long have they given you?" Damn, couldn't Asami see how much the suspense was killing him?

"Who are _they_?" The older man asked nonetheless, frowning at the photographer.

"The doctors, damn it! How long did they say you have left to live?"

"Doctors? Left to live? ! What are you talking about, Takaba?" Asami asked, clearly confused about the other man's questions.

"Stop hiding the truth, Asami. I saw you coming out of the hospital."

"You what?…When? !"

"Two nights ago. I was on a stake out mission outside Tokyo University Hospital. I saw you coming out with Kirishima at around 9."

Asami looked at the younger man not really sure of what to say.

"…Why didn't you tell me you saw me?"

"What difference does it make? You've been avoiding telling me something for days now. Kirishima keeps fretting about you smoking, you secretly go to the hospital, than you sign a Will… It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out something's wrong with you, you know?"

For once it seemed the underworld lord was taken aback. Asami looked at Akihito, the latter's face flushed from nerves, but instead of arguing back as was perhaps expected, the older man slowly walked towards the table, retrieving a cigarette pack from his briefcase, and lighting a cigar against his lips.

"There's nothing wrong with me." He said, leaning against the table besides Akihito. "I'm not dying anytime soon. You can relax."

Somehow Akihito did not seem convinced. "But-" The youngster started, clearly about to make a reference to Asami's secret hospital visit again.

"I did have a health scare a couple of months ago." Asami confessed, eyeing the photographer more intently.

When he was sure Akihito would not interrupt him, he continued.

"…Do you remember I had a bad cough at the end of last summer?"

Akihito nodded silently. Sure, he remembered. He had repeatedly nagged Asami to have it checked.

"I went in for a lung X-ray at the time and they found a… 'suspicious mass' , I think that was the technical term the doctors used, in one of my lungs."

When the older man felt Akihito was about to say something again, he quickly added: "It turned out to be nothing. It's gone now. Even though I was put through a battery of medical exams to rule out any serious conditions."

Akihito let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He felt relieved beyond words, even though he still felt a little shaky.

"W-What about the trip to the hospital?"

Asami snorted at the question. "You have Kirishima to thank f or that."

When the young man frowned in response, Asami elaborated. "I'm clear of any medical conditions, but the doctors did advise me to quit smoking." He coughed, seemingly embarrassed by the admission. "They suggested I enrolled on a medical program to help me quit the habit. The appointments are at Tokyo University Hospital... I wasn't planning to attend them, but Kirishima can be a pain in the ass when he gets an idea in his head. He's the one making sure I stick to the program and the appointments." He confessed, blowing a cloud of white smoke between his lips. "As you can see though," Asami added, lifting his half burned cigarette in the air. "The program hasn't been very effective y-."

He didn't manage to finish the sentence because Akihito all but lunged himself him, the younger man's lips covering the other's in a kiss he hoped would dissipate all the fear and anxiety he had felt over the past few days concerning Asami's health.

"Are you really ok?" He nevertheless asked, as soon as he broke the kiss, gasping for air.

There was a smug grin on the older man's lips as he held Akihito closer to his still damp torso. "Want me to prove it?" He asked huskily, as Akihito leaned in again, answering him in the form of another kiss.

Things escalated quickly between them as usual and before he knew it, Akihito found himself trapped beneath Asami on the lounge area's sofa, the latter's towel lost somewhere during the small trip from the table to their current location.

He felt Asami's broad hands caressing his stomach as he arched his back against the sofa making it easier for the other man to remove his t-shirt. Soon his swim shorts were gone too, leaving him as naked and vulnerable as Asami was, not that he felt any trouble from the fact, occupied as he was with feeling Asami leaving a trail of kisses from his stomach to his navel, while one of the older man's free hands gently coached Akihito's legs to spread for him.

Groggy from lust, Akihito's eyes momentarily shifted to the table just as a sudden thought came rushing to the front of his mind.

"The Will!" He yelped, propping his torso up on his elbows so suddenly, that his stomach ended up slamming against Asami's nose, who sat up on the sofa massaging the offended body part and casting a frown at the younger man.

Not that it occurred to Akihito to apologize at the time. After all, a more pressing matter was on the table…literally.

"But…But…if you're not sick…what's up with the Will all of a sudden?" Akihito asked, flushing as he recalled seeing his name in it. "And…why are you making me your heir?"

It seemed he touched a sensitive subject, seeing as Asami momentarily averted his eyes from him.

"Asami…?"

Instead of answering, the older man got up from the sofa and walked towards the table, picking up his previously discarded towel along the way. When he returned to Akihito's side he had the Will on his hand, his eyes lingering on the vast list of assets he had acquired through his life so far.

"…I'm not going to say I wasn't scarred at first, when the results of that first X-ray came out… I've been smoking for years and finding a 'mass' on a smoker's lungs usually means…Well, you can probably guess." He said, laying his head back on the sofa and closing his eyes for a moment.

It was then that Akihito realized he hadn't been the only one living with anxiety and fear for a while. He felt the muscles around his heart squeeze painfully as a result.

"Why didn't you tell me anything?"

Asami grinned, his eyes still close. "Because I wanted to keep seeing you smile."

"You baka." Akihito said, lowering his forehead to the other man's shoulder so that Asami wouldn't see his eyes watering up.

His face was still hidden from view when he felt Asami's hand caressing the back of his neck. "I guess what I've been trying to tell you is that I'm in love with you, you brat, and if I can't marry you I can at least make you heir to my life."

"Baka." Akihito said slamming his fist against the side of Asami's ribs, even though the blow was given with close to no force.

By the time he felt his lover's hand lifting his chin up, he knew there were silent tears sliding down his face.

"Why are you crying?" Asami asked, running his thumb gently over Akihito's cheek.

"Because I never want you to leave me behind, you baka."

"Don't worry." Asami said, a ghost of a smile appearing on his lips as he bent down towards Akihito. "I'm not going anywhere soon."

And he sealed his promise with a kiss.

**THE END**

**A/N:** Thanks for your feedback on the story :) I got the feeling most of you thought Asami was going to die. Like I'd ever be brave enough to kill him off in the story! lol Thanks again and see you next time! ;)


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